The Spark of Rebellion
1. The Drums of War
Nathan could still feel the tremors beneath his feet, echoes of the battle that had shaken Nova Scotia. Even deep in the mountains, away from government eyes, the tension hadn't faded. The world had crossed a threshold—and there was no going back.
The Guardian, still recovering from the suppression net, sat by the fire, his expression distant. Though his wounds had healed, his qi had not fully returned, as if something unnatural had drained him beyond mere physical injury.
"We can't stay here forever," Nathan muttered. "They're going to come after us with everything they have."
Gorampa nodded, his gaze fixed on the runes still faintly glowing in the remnants of the suppression net. "They will." His voice was calm, but there was an edge to it—a warning. "And when they do, we must be ready."
Nathan clenched his fists. "Then we hit back first."
The Guardian exhaled. "You're talking about war."
Nathan met his gaze. "They already started one."
Gorampa looked into the fire, his face unreadable. "Perhaps." Then he turned to Nathan, the embers reflecting in his ancient eyes. "But before you decide to fight, you must understand the stakes."
The monk placed a hand over the runes, and the world blurred.
Nathan blinked—and suddenly, he wasn't in the mountains anymore.
2. A World Bound in Chains
A vision.
Nathan stood in an unfamiliar city—or what was left of one. Buildings lay in ruins, streets cracked and overgrown. But this wasn't the result of war.
It was the weight of something unnatural.
He turned a corner and saw them—people, shackled together, their bodies drained of color, their eyes vacant. Soldiers moved among them, not just guarding, but siphoning.
Qi.
They were harvesting qi.
Nathan's stomach twisted.
"You see it now," Gorampa's voice echoed around him. "This is the future they seek."
Nathan turned—only to find himself standing before a massive structure, a fortress of steel and energy rising into the sky. The heart of Project Lockdown.
And at the top of it all, watching—
A man in a military uniform, his presence cold, calculating. General Caldwell.
Nathan had never met him. But he knew him.
The man who would try to enslave the new world before it could be born.
The vision shattered.
Nathan gasped, stumbling back into the mountains. The fire crackled beside him. Gorampa was watching.
"You asked me what comes next," the monk said softly. "Now you know."
Nathan gritted his teeth. "Then we stop them."
3. The Call to Arms
"How?" the Guardian asked, rubbing his wrists where the suppression net had once bound him. "They have armies, weapons, technology specifically designed to counter us. What do we have?"
Nathan smirked. "We have qi."
The Guardian rolled his eyes. "So do they."
"But we understand it better than they ever will," Gorampa interjected. "And we are not alone."
Nathan frowned. "You mean the other Guardians?"
Gorampa nodded. "But not just them. There are others—those who have awakened, those who have begun to remember what the world once was. If we are to win, we need them."
Nathan exhaled. "Then we start recruiting."
The Guardian rubbed his temples. "You make it sound so simple."
"It is," Gorampa said. "Because if we do nothing, they will come for every ley line, every awakened, until nothing remains except what they can control."
Nathan nodded. "Then we find them before Caldwell does."
Gorampa smiled. "That is the first step."
4. The Hunt Begins
Across the world, Project Lockdown was already in motion.
In Beijing, a government research lab monitored new anomalies—individuals developing spiritual enhancements beyond normal comprehension. Their names were logged, their movements tracked.
In Paris, entire districts were placed under military surveillance, their energy fluctuations deemed a security risk.
And in the United States, in a covert base deep in the Colorado mountains, prisoners were already being tested.
Caldwell watched the live footage from his command center, his expression unreadable.
"We've confirmed at least four Guardian-level anomalies still at large," his intelligence officer reported. "One of them is Nathan. Another is Gorampa."
Caldwell nodded. "And the others?"
The officer hesitated. "One has been tracked to Southeast Asia. The other…"
Caldwell turned. "Yes?"
The officer swallowed. "We think she's in Li Na's settlement."
Silence.
Then Caldwell exhaled. "Prepare an operation."
The officer hesitated. "Sir, what if she resists?"
Caldwell's lips curled.
"Then we remind them who holds the leash."
5. The Warning That Came Too Late
Far from the war rooms and laboratories, Li Na stood in the fields outside her settlement, watching the sky.
Something had felt off all day. The wind carried an unfamiliar weight, the earth beneath her feet tense, like it was waiting.
She didn't know why.
But she knew it wasn't good.
Then she heard the distant hum of aircraft.
She turned sharply, her pulse quickening.
Over the horizon, black dots appeared against the setting sun.
Approaching.
Fast.
Her heart dropped.
"Get the children inside," she whispered.
Mei looked up at her, confused. "Mama?"
"Now!"
The little girl ran, calling for the others.
Li Na clenched her fists.
The government had found them.
6. The First Strike
Nathan and Gorampa felt it the moment it happened.
The ley lines pulsed, the balance of energy disturbed.
Gorampa's eyes snapped open. "No…"
Nathan turned. "What is it?"
The monk's expression was grim. "They're making their move."
Nathan's stomach twisted. "Where?"
Gorampa didn't answer right away. He simply touched the earth.
Then, softly, he said,
"Li Na's home."
Nathan's breath caught.
He didn't hesitate.
"We need to go. Now."
7. The Eclipse Queen's Smile
And far away, in the depths of the void, the Eclipse Queen watched it unfold.
She had waited. Watched as humanity tore itself apart, as mortals squabbled for power they could never truly wield.
And now?
Now the game was truly beginning.
Her lips curved into a slow, knowing smile.
"Let them fight," she whispered.
Her attendants bowed.
"Shall we intervene?"
The Queen chuckled.
"Not yet."
She leaned back on her throne.
"But soon."
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